The Preliminary Research On Ethnic Relations Between Rouran And Its Neighbors

The Rouran was a powerful nomadic regime lasted for 154 years, from 402 A.D. to 555 A.D. The empire controlled the area of Mongolia after the collapse of northern Xiongnu power, and Xianbei migrated south to the Central Plains. In this article, we discussed the ethnic relations between Rouran and surrounding regimes from the points of politics, economy and culture.The first chapter focused on the relationship between the Rouran and the Central Plains. The Rouran struggled with the Central Plains, from the state of Dai, the Northern Wei Dynasty, the Eastern Wei Dynasty, the Western Wei Dynasty until the Northern Qi Dynasty. The features of the relationship was the alliance frequently disrupted by conflicts. On the one hand, the wars frequently broke out, on the other hand, they made alliances by policies of tributes and rewards, peace-making marriages. The Rouran established the era names, bureaucracy and military systems, and build houses and city on the Central Plains model. Buddhism was also spread to the Rouran. The communications and the trades promoted the economic development of both sides and the two cultures collided with and merged into each other.The second chapter analyzed the relationship between the Rouran and the Tujue, which was a nomadic Turkic tribe. The Tujue submitted to and fought for the Rouran at the beginning, but the Rouran despised them as the"blacksmith slaves"and refused their marriage request. Then the Tujue revolted against and finally conquered the Rouran. The confederation at the beginning promoted the economic development and culture communications. The Tujue absorbed lots of the culture and the system of politics and military of the Rouran.Chapter three mainly stated the relationships among the Rouran and the Western Regions. Shelun conquered most of the Gaoche tribes and proclaimed himself as the Kaghan of the Rouran. The Gaoche struggled with them and established a state , and fought against the Rouran. The Rouran also became weak after the wars with the Gaoche. From the Shelun period, the Rouran began to control the countries on the Silk Road and the Buddhist was also dispersed to the Rouran.The Rouran is a warlike country frequently fighting with its neighboring countries or tribes. They dominated the Tujue and the Gaoche tribes and established a powerful regime, but the cruelly enslavement impelled them to revolt and finally the Rouran was conquered by the Tujue. They also continually intruded the Central Plains and invaded the Western Regions. The marauding and the trade promoted the economic development and culture merging. After absorbed the culture of the Central Plains, the Rouran further developed its own culture which in turn was inherited by the nations ruled by it.